Paine College founded

Date:

Fri, 1882-03-24

*Paine College was founded on this date in 1882. It is one of over 100 Historical Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) in America.

The background of Paine College is tied to the history of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church. In 1880, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South appointed a commission of clergy and lay persons to cooperate with the Christian Methodist Church in establishing an educational institute to train Black ministers and teachers. In 1882, each Church appointed three of its members to a committee, which established Paine Institute, named in honor of Bishop Robert Paine. Six months after incorporation, classes began in rented quarters on Broad Street in Augusta, Georgia.

In 1903, Paine Institute was recharted as Paine College. However, there were no public schools for Blacks at that time, and Paine continued to provide secondary education as well as college work for its students. Paine College has a long-standing tradition of interracial cooperation. Historically, Paine has been a distinctively Christian college. It has maintained deep concern for the quest for truth and has been resolute in blending knowledge with values and personal commitment. Paine has been historically dedicated to the preparing the whole person for responsible life in society.